Friday, November 19, 2010

Air Time: Swaps bring in over 500 illegal burn barrels

By Seth Preston, Communications Manager, Air Quality Program

The results are in from a joint effort by Ecology and the Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to reduce wildfires and the harmful smoke they produce.

DNR and Ecology targeted burn barrels. It’s illegal to use them in Washington, and they can spark wildfires that damage property, threaten people and scar the environment.

Over several months, Ecology and DNR worked with several counties and other local organizations to swap free compost bins for burn barrels. Events were held in participating Washington counties and in conjunction with the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation.

Here’s our news release about the project’s wrap-up.

This is the second consecutive summer that Ecology and DNR have worked together on a burn barrel collection program. Last year, the two state agencies cooperated on collections in Okanogan and Stevens counties. Four events (two in each county) were held; more than 220 burn barrels were collected.

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